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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. GOTTFRIED.

APPARATUS FOR COUNTING PACKAGES.

No. 402,820. Patented May 7, 1889.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. GOTTFRIED. APPARATUS FOR COUNTING PACKAGES.

(No Model.)

Patented May 7, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @EEICE.

MATIIElV GOTTFRIEI), OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR COUNTING PACKAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,820, dated May 7',1889.

Original application filed January 24, 1885, Serial No, 153,818. Dividedand this application filed March 19, 1888. Serial No. 267,610. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MATHEw Gorrrninn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in. the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful. Apparatus for Counting Packages,'of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of the present application is to cover the mechanicalstructures which, for the purpose of embodying them in anotherapplication, were withdrawn from my application Serial No. 153,818,filed January 24, 1885, and allowed January 31, 1888.

My invention is to be employed wherever bulky articles or parcels ofmerchandise of uniform size. are intended to be transferred fromstore-houses to wagons, or vice versa; but it is peculiarly adapted tothe counting of barrels, kegs, &c., used by brewers for the shipment ortransmission of beer from the brewery to the place of consumption. Itsleading idea is to provide means whereby the number and capacity of theditterent packages which pass through a way or chute as they are loadedor unloadedas, for instance, beer barrels, kegs, &c.-may be accuratelycounted and recorded.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing amechanical recording device applied to a chute terminating at the edgeof the wagon to be loaded. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of suchmeehanicalrecording device detached. Fig. 3 shows a cam device .t'or operating themarkers of the recording device. Fig. at is a plan viewof the rotat ingcard-holder. Fig. 5 shows in side elevation a modification of therecording device shown in Fig. 6 is a plan view of the form of apparatusshown in Fig. 1, in which the size of the vessel is made to operate therecording device. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the devices in which theapparatus is operated by the weight of the vessel. Fig. 8 is across-section of a modified form of chute.

veyer, this chute should have sufficient pitch for the vessel o movedown by gravity alone. A conveyor, l3, may be added or not, at thepleasure of the constructer. In this form of apparatus a a representstandards extending up on either side of the chute. These standardscarry a rock-shaft, C, and this rock-shaft is provided with an arm, D,having one or more fingers, (7, adapted to engage the vessel. This armis set upon the shaft in such manner that the smallest package passingunder it will throw it up, thus rocking the shaft (1 in its bearings inproportion to the size of the vessel. This rocking of shaft 0 operatesarecording device.

In Figs. 1 to 5 I have illustrated a mechanical recording device of avery cheap and simple form, which may be employed in connection witheither of the forms of apparatus shown for operating this rockshaft. Asshown in these figures, this recording device consists of acani orseries of Cfil]lS,P, mounted on the rock-shaft C, and adapted to beturned or rocked therewith points or markers adapted to imprint, a cardor ribbon to receive the imprint, and mechanism adapted to move the cardor ribbon under the markers.

The markers F are supported in a vertical position in the frame-work andyiel din gly sustained by the springs f. Theymay oesimple steel orwooden pins having points adapted to indent paper placed beneath them,or they may strike an interposed inked. ribbon, as in the ordinarytype-writer. They may all be of the same length, so as to be operated bya series of cam devices moving in different planes, or of unequallengths, so as to be operated by a single cam or plunger, and of coursethey should be as many in number as there are sizes of packages to berecorded.

anism shown for this purpose consists of an arm, Q, upon the rock-shaftC, having a downwardly-projectin g slotted rod, R, pivoted to its outerend and a bell-crank, S, pivoted to the framework T, having one oiitsends adj ustably connected to the slotted rod R, and a dog, U,adapted to work in the ratchetwheel of the table attached to its otherend. As the package moves down it raises the arm D, and thus turns therock-shaft with its connections. This raises the bell-crank S and throwsits downwardly projecting portion back, and when the barrel has passed,the arm D drops, throwing the dog U forward, and this operates torevolve the table and card.

In operation the vessel passing down the way or chute under the arm Draises the latter and rocks the shaft 0. This rocking of such shaftoperates, through the cam devices P, above mentioned, to depress one ormore of the markers accordin as a larger or smaller vessel passes underthe arm, and thus to register one or more marks on the card. Thus, if avessel of the smallest diameter-say an eighthpasses through, only one ofthe markers is depressed so as to touch the card or ribbon, thus makingbut one mark. If a vessel of the next larger size-say a quarter passesthrough, two of the markers are brought into contact with the card, thusmaking two marks, and so on throughout the series.

In Fig. 7 an apparatus is illustrated in which the weight of the packageas it passes down a chute or conveyer is made to operate the rock-shaftO. In this form the package passes at one point over a vibratoryplatform, H, arranged and adapted to depress a lever, N, secured uponthe rock-shaft. This platform may be of any construction desired andplaced at any convenient point in the chute. As shown in the drawings,one of its edges is hinged and the other free to be depressed by theweight of the vessel. The long end of the lever N on the rock-shaft isadapted to be drawn down by a coiled spring, weights, or other devices,so as to elevate the short end, and thus bring it into direct orindirect contact with the movable platform. As shown particularly inFig. 7, a coiled spring, 0, is used for this purpose. The short end ofthe lever N is projected beyond the rock-shaft and adapted to bedepressed with the platform by weight of the passing vessel. In thisform of apparatus the recording device above described may be employedby attaching the cam shown in Fig. '7 directly to the rock-shaft or byconnecting such recording device to the said shaft by intermediate linksor levers, as shown in Fig. 10.

The recording device having been already fully shown in connection withFigs. 1 to "5, I do not consider it necessary to give a detailed drawingof it in Fig. 7, and have merely shown the cam P placed upon therock-shaft; The arrangement is such that the weight of the passingvessel will depress the platform,

and through it the short end of lever N, thus elevating the long endthereof and rotating the shaftcarrying the cam devices more or less,according to the size of the vessel. \Vhen the conveyer B is employed inthis form of apparatus, it may have rollers b, and should be slackenough to allow the weight of the superimposed vessel to depress theplatform.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown a modification of the device shown inFig. 7. In this modified form the platform which is to be depressed bythe weight of the passing barrel is made much shorter than that shown inFig. 7, and need not be more than a foot in length. It is not hinged ateither end,- but is supported by and slides in vertical guides V V. TheWeight of the barrel depresses the entire platform, operating therecording device, and after the barrel has passed the spring 0 operatesto return the platform to its nor-' mal position.

I claim 1. The combination, with a way or chute for vessels or packages,of arock-shaft adapted to be operated by the size or weight of thepassing vessel, cam devices adapted to be operated from said rock-shaft,markers adapted to be operated by said cam devices, a rotating stand ortable, and means for rotating the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a way or chute for vessels or packages, of arock-shaft adapted to be operated by the size or weight of the passingvessel, cam devices adapted to be operated from said rock-shaft, markersadapted to be operated by said cam devices, a rotating stand or tableand means for rotating the same, and a card adapted to receive theimprint from said markers, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a way or chute for vessels or packages, of arock-shaft adapted to be rocked by the passage of the vessel, and arecording device comprising an oscillating arm, markers carried thereby,a rotating stand or table and means for rotating the same, and a movablecard to receive the imprint of the markers, substantially as described,and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an apparatus for counting vessels or packages, a recording devicecomprising markers, a cam for operating the markers, a card to receivethe imprint, a rotating stand or table, and mechanism for rotating thestand or table, substantially as described.

v MATHE\V GOTTFRIED.

Witnesses:

GEORGE S. PAYSON, M. F. FAIRBANKS.

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